This is such a quick and easy supper and as we usually have a pack of pastry in the freezer (no, I don’t make my own – no judgment please!) plus plenty of veggies around it’s a great option for when you’re low on ingredients and short of inspiration. It’s also great cold so a good option for picnics and packed lunches.

(Serves 4 – 6)

1 pack of Jus-Rol puff pastry (ready-rolled for ultimate laziness)

2-3 onions (peeled and sliced)

Drizzle of olive oil

Maple syrup

2-3 zucchini (sliced)

4-5 large vine tomatoes (sliced)

Toasted pine nuts

Oregano

Salt and pepper to season

Grease a baking tray

Place the pastry on the tray and pinch around the edges

Pour the oil into a pan and add the onions – gently heat through to soften and caramelise

Add a generous drizzle of maple syrup to the onions for the final few minutes of cooking

In another pan add olive oil and slowly shallow-fry the zucchini slices

Spread the caramelised onions evenly over the pastry and then alternate the zucchini and tomato slices

Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts, oregano and salt and pepper over the vegetables

We eat so many salads in the summer and despite what some people think they really, really don’t have to be boring! To be honest we rarely eat the same salad twice as it normally depends on what is in the fridge at the time…

I usually pop gnocchi in boiling water for a couple of minutes but this time I pan-fried it for a slightly different taste and texture.

(Serves 2)

2 large handfuls of organic rocket

2 large handfuls of organic spinach

Punnet of slow-roasted tomatoes (see previous recipe)

1 bag of gnocchi

1 ripe organic avocado – peeled, stoned and sliced

1/2 red onion – finely chopped

2 tablespoons of capers

Handful of toasted almond flakes and pumpkin seeds

Generous drizzle of olive oil

Tablespoon of vegan pesto (I often make my own but Zest do a great one)

Pan-fry the gnocchi in a little olive oil allowing to lightly brown on the outside

Samphire grows wild along the marshy coastlines and estuaries of Northern and Western Europe and has a distinctive fresh and salty taste. Not only is it delicious but it’s also really good for us – it’s high in vitamins A, C and B and is a great source of folic acid. I’ve even heard it recently described as the “next big superfood”.

Samphire season in the UK is fairly short (July to August) so do make the most of it whilst you can. I’ve often had it either deep-fried or lightly boiled in restaurants but I bought some today and it was so fresh that I just served it raw with lemon juice (to balance out the saltiness) and a drizzle of olive oil.

I know I only posted a flatbread recipe a few days but at this time of year they’re just perfect. Quick and easy to prepare, delicious and great for sharing with a group of friends and a good bottle of wine. I bought some freshly picked samphire earlier from a little road-side stall in Norfolk and couldn’t wait to use it. This is one of my favourite vegetables! There are so many incredible ways to prepare it but this samphire was so fresh and delicious that we just ate it raw with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Delicious!

Caramelised onion and rosemary flatbread:

1 flatbread (I bought these ready-made from Crosta & Mollica, available from Waitrose)

2 small red onions (sliced)

Dash of red wine vinegar

2 generous sprigs of rosemary

Garlic and oregano-infused olive oil (see below)

Pop the onions in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and cook on a low heat for around 40 minutes, with a splash of red wine vinegar

Assemble the infused olive oil, caramelised onions and rosemary on a flatbread for 5 minutes at 180°C

Cherry tomato, olive and rocket flatbread:

1 flatbread (as above)

Large handful of organic, on-the-vine cherry tomatoes (halved)

Large handful of organic rocket

Spanish Couchillo olives (available from Waitrose)

Garlic and oregano-infused olive oil

Assemble the infused olive oil, cherry tomatoes and olives on the flatbread and pop in the oven for 5 minutes at 180°C

Once cooked add the rocket and serve

Garlic and oregano-infused olive oil:

Small cupful of extra-virgin olive oil

Handful of finely chopped fresh oregano

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Add the chopped garlic and fresh oregano to a cup of olive oil and leave in the fridge overnight

You can sieve the olive oil before using but for these flatbreads I included the oregano and garlic

I probably could have made the flatbread but I was short of time and Waitrose sell some amazing ones by Crosta Mollica which are vegan. This is a great starter to share with friends or just to eat all by yourself because it’s really tasty and well, why not?!

Flatbread

Red onion – sliced

Large spoonful of capers

1-2 cloves of garlic – chopped

Few leaves of fresh basil

Drizzle of olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

Heat some olive oil in a pan – add the red onions and cook on a low heat for 20-30 minutes (if you have more time then cook for longer for a sweeter taste)

Assemble all the ingredients on the flatbread on a baking tray and pop in the oven for 4 minutes at 180°C

OK, so this may not be the healthiest way to consume your veggies but as a one-off it’s REALLY tasty! When I first made these I did so as a starter, which in hindsight was a bit of a mistake as everyone was too full to eat the rest of the dinner! Now I like to cook up a big batch, serve with a couple of dipping sauces and a great movie!

(Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main)

Big pile of chopped up veggies – I used carrots, broccoli, peppers, baby sweetcorn and onion but you can pretty much use whatever you have in the kitchen

Pan with enough vegetable oil to cover the veggies (I cook mine in batches so as not to use too much oil but if you have a deep-fat fryer then you can do them all at once)

For the batter:

Cup of plain flour

Teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda

Sparkling water – add to create the constancy you need (see below)

Sea salt and pepper to season

Mix the batter mix in a big bowl – the consistency should be liquid but thick enough to stick to the veggies.

Heat the oil up in the pan – it needs to be pretty hot so the veggies don’t absorb too much oil and go soggy but not so hot that it’s smoking

Add the batter mixture-covered veggies a few at a time and fry until the batter is a pale golden colour

Place the cooked tempura on a few sheets of kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil

Serve with dipping sauces and enjoy!

Note: If I’m feeling lazy then I’ll just serve the tempura with ready-made sweet chilli or hoisin sauce for dipping but often I’ll make up my own, which is super-quick and easy:

Approx 3/4 soy sauce to 1/4 Chinese cooking wine

Chopped fresh garlic

Chopped fresh ginger

Chopped red chilli (with or without the seeds depending on how hot you like it)